(1) What’s the current rule when your opponent is late for the game and you’re White? Yes, you start his clock but do you have to make your first move, as White, on the board?
I recall many years ago you did NOT have to make it on the board, but I also thought I read somewhere that rule had changed. I saw two players disagreeing over this very thing at the American Open last weekend and I was wondering what the outcome was. (During that same round my opponent was also late and I, as White, just went ahead and made my move on the board.)
(2) As a TD, what would be your call if I complained because my opponent (who is Black that game) wishes to use their board (which is a normal standard, tournament size roll-up type board that most players have), but it’s VERY dirty and/or soiled, with noticeable distracting marks all over the squares?
I understand Black has his/her choice of equipment, but I was wondering if any TD would side with me, especially if I had had the same style board available to use, and it’s a nice clean, fresh, and flat board.
This scenario also happened during this tournament. My opponent’s board looked like it had been through a couple of World Wars. We went ahead and used it, but playing on it was distracting to me. I didn’t complain, and I’m wondering in the future if I do, will it do any good.
(3) On a similar note, as a TD, what would be your call if my opponent wanted to use his/her board, which had black colored squares but he also had solid black colored pieces. With me and my eyes, the black pieces sort of “lose themselves” in the black squares. I really need a bit of a contrast between the board and the pieces, which is why I much prefer the roll-up boards with the green, brown, or even blue colored squares.
This happened on a board next to me this past weekend and here I was also wondering what most TDs would rule, if the White player complained.
Below are the rules (or parts of the rules) regarding your questions. How the TD will rule can vary, as the comments from other posters will probably indicate.
16I. Starting the clock.
At the time determined for the start of the game, after the board and pieces are set up, the clock of the player with the white pieces is started. During the game, each of the players, having moved, stops the player’s clock and starts that of the opponent. See also 5H, Pressing the clock and 16N, Beginning the round.
16J. Black not present.
If Black is not present for the start of the game, White shall start his own clock, make his move on the board, and start Black’s clock.
TD TIP: If a director observes that White has started Black’s clock without moving, the director should remind White to make a move immediately. If, upon arriving, Black observes that White has started Black’s clock without moving, Black may immediately start White’s clock or stop the clock and make a claim. Either way, if the clock has a move counter, it may be necessary to adjust it before the game commences. The director may assess the standard penalty (1C2A), or other penalties if appropriate, against the player who improperly started Black’s clock without moving.
If White makes a move before the clock is started, the move counter may be off by a half-move. If White starts Black’s clock without moving, the counter may be off by a half-move or a full move. The director should, at an early stage in the game, verify the setting of the move counter, and ask the players to correct it if necessary.
39A. Choice of equipment.
… The director is the final arbiter of whether the equipment in question is standard
20G. Annoying behavior prohibited.
It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any manner whatsoever. A director, upon a complaint by the opponent, has discretion to determine whether any particular behavior is in violation of this rule and to impose penalties.
41B. Color.
Like the pieces, chessboard colors should offer high contrast between the light and dark sections yet remain pleasing to the eye. Good combinations include green or brown with ivory or buff, and walnut or teak with maple or birch. The colors and the finish should allow extended examination without eyestrain.
Squares that do not exactly match the colors of the pieces are popular because they allow ready distinction between empty and occupied squares. For example, the green and buff vinyl roll-up board sold by USCF and others is the most commonly used at tournaments. Red and black checkerboards are nonstandard.
Regarding White having to move if Black is absent …
I note that the rules for adjournments used to permit the player responding to the just-unsealed move to write and re-seal his reply without making his move on the board, if the opponent has not yet arrived. I assume that this is to guard against the opponent covertly seeing from a distance or being told of the move, and taking the opportunity to analyze and get some advice from another source before going to the board.
That scenario would seem to be a greater threat today with so many electronic devices being available. It would seem to me that no one should be required to broadcast his/her first move when the opponent hasn’t yet made an appearance.
Off hand, I can think of a couple of very practical reasons to require white to make move number one before starting black’s clock.
black is not allowed to move before white moves, so black shouldn’t be on move with the clock running while it is white’s move.
prior to the rule change white would arrive, set up (if boards and sets weren’t provided by the organizer), start the clock without moving, and then wander off looking at interesting games. Black would then arrive, start white’s clock, and wander off looking at interesting games. White would come by, see that somebody must have erroneously started his clock since his opponent still wasn’t there, restart black’s clock, and then wander off looking at interesting games. This would go back and forth for some time before they realized they were both actually there and the game could start. Requiring the person on move to actually make a move before starting the opponent’s clock eliminates that silliness.
That was the original idea behind the old rule that allowed white to start his late-arriving opponent’s clock without making a move.
But things got complicated when move counters became common, so the rule was changed as a practical matter.
If the Smythe Dream Clock ever gets manufactured, it will have a feature that allows the arbiter to start both clocks running simultaneously, each at half speed. This will make it easy to enforce a policy that, if both players are late, the elapsed time should be divided equally. When the first player arrives and presses his clock, that will stop his clock and start his opponent’s running at normal speed.
I can accept all of that, but shouldn’t White be allowed to indicate his/her opening move on the scoresheet and seal it (or at least place it face-down) and not reveal it until Black arrives? If White has wandered off, a tournament official could make the indicated move and let Black ponder the reply.
As it is now, Black could be watching from a hotel balcony. “Egad, Bird’s Opening! I’ve never faced that. I think I’ll go back to my room and spend my first twenty minutes on computer analysis to come up with a defense – time well spent.”
Or more realistically, just knowing that a king pawn or a queen pawn game was in progress could be an advantage.
Others will give you rules, and this is good. For some you have to
hit over the head with a book. I will say though, that most chess
players tend to be very courteous individuals, and problems of this
nature seldom arise. I would suggest two things to you. Purchase
a set with standard pieces and board, and bring them with you.
Most players could care less about the board and pieces unless you
truly have something weird. Like Orange and Pink pieces, and a
dark red squared board, for example. UGLY or poor taste, at least.
As a chess tutor, I supply my new students with a tournament board
and pieces. I am too old for pink, purple, orange, lime green, or
blue pieces. Some kids love it, and I could care less if their opponents have no objection. Just call me old if you wish.
On the choice of boards, it’s a judgment call. Players should negotiate the subject and most of the time if one player has a clear preference the other player won’t mind. If they can’t agree, black has the choice unless overridden by the TD.
(stained boards) It really depends on how stained it was. Would an ordinary person have an issue with it? I have met players who whine about boards, but is it because there is really a problem, or is it because of some sort of obsessive-compulsive disorder?
My personal ruling would be somewhat unsympathetic toward whining about a small stain, somewhat more sympathetic if it appeared that entire cup of coffee had been spilled on it and never cleaned up, staining most of the board. If I thought it was somewhat embarrassing that someone would use such a board rather than spend the required $3 - $6 on a new one, I would rule in white’s favor.
You mentioned that your board is flat as well. Wrinkled boards are a different matter to me. I would be strongly inclined to disallow the use of a curled or wrinkled board if a flat one were available.
Black pieces on black squares are standard equipment. Although not preferred, they are perfectly acceptable. Of course, as a player, I would always allow a different choice if someone requested it. As a TD, I would be unlikely to force black to switch equipment.
That, too, involves some judgment on my part. Is the white player genuinely visually impaired, or is he just wanting to get things his way? It might also depend on just how much effort would be required to switch. I would say that if there is a sufficient problem with black on black that you would consider yourself at a distinct disadvantage when playing with the black pieces on black boards that you should inform the TD as soon as possible. (i.e. before the tournament starts, or with your registration material.) If someone did so, I would be inclined to treat the player as a handicapped player, and allow him to reject the black on black board.
I must confess that in visualizing the potential disagreements where these issues could come up, I visualized one or both parties to the disagreement as characters from “Big Bang Theory”. These are the sorts of issues that regular people could resolve very, very, easily. Most players would prefer unstained boards. Most players would have no objection to substituting a green for a black if the other player needed better contrast. If there’s an issue about such things, there almost has to be a bit of a personality disorder involved.
As a TD, in trying to assess the situation, if one or both players were acting a lot like Dr. Sheldon Cooper, I would be inclined to rule for the other one.
If a player is really into the nitpick on this type of thing, it is incumbent
upon them to:
A. Arrive early
B. have own USCF approved board
C. have own USCF approved pieces
D. have own digital clock
This way they can be assured of playing with standard equipment. At
most of the tournaments in the DFW area, the organizers provide
chess sets, and sometimes clocks. This is good for them locally, bad
perhaps as they travel, and have unrealistic expectations. Also, even
at the clubs that have clocks, they do not have a limitless supply of
the clock type a player may prefer. The point is, the active chess player should invest in their own equipment.
I disagree. If White’s equipment is “more standard” than Black’s, White should be allowed to use his equipment. Only if the equipment is equally standard, or equally non-standard, I suppose, does Black get the choice.
Alex, I don’t think that’s a proper interpretation of the rule. 39A says that the players use Black’s equipment “if it meets the standards.” It doesn’t say that they use the equipment which more closely matches the standards. To me, that means that if both sets of equipment fall within the standards at all, Black gets the choice.
True, in the following sentence it says that the director is the final arbiter of whether equipment meets the standards. However, I could not rule in good conscience that a board with black and white squares is non-standard because the dark squares happen the match the color of the Black pieces. I don’t think the TD should be in the business of judging which boards and pieces he personally finds more pleasing to the eye.
I had to make a ruling on this very thing at the recent QCO. In the final round, a player with Black had a large inlaid wood board and pieces (which he had used throughout the tournament). White was refusing to play with this equipment, as he said that the board and pieces were so large that he found them distracting and hard to use. I examined the set and board and found that they fell within the standards. Personally, I did think they looked a little large (but not outside what the standards require), so I ruled that Black’s equipment should be used and - when White still resisted - told him either to begin play or be forfeited.
1… Asked and answered, but also believe White makes move first before starting the clock is fine. (And… Going into a tizzy because other player can see your first move and make soup from that? Uh, if anyone is consulting sources for any of the possible twenty first moves… they have deeper problems than the sources would help with.)
2 and 3. Judgment calls, utterly. Strong inclination to allow Black to have the choice. But one of those ultra-rare occasions where being someone who plays might lend some credence to how I’d rule. (And stronger still… TDs get to see a lot of boards and sets. )
I’d be much more interested in the take on boards with signatures on the squares, logo-ized h1/a8 squares, etc. I once had someone insist that while the rest of the pieces were black and white, the person wanted their ‘lucky gold rook’ keychain on h1 while they made their first move and then would replace it with the regulation white rook, honest and for true. Black objected before the first move. Upheld black’s request and told the player to put the regulation rook on h1 before move 1. Also had a pair of players with the most ***-awful fluorescent green and purple set which was just bought at the equipment vendor. Neither player objected to the use (and I did a very rare thing and confirmed with the non-owner player that this was fine to that player…) And was so glad I was never called for a ruling on that board.
So have I. So Have I. I mean really it is disturbing when grown folks cuss each other out
for say putting an opponents cigarette out in an ashtray, when it is left smoking. (and then
causing a fight 10 years later in memory of their previous fight), or the irrelevant like
which standard chess pieces and boards are used. (yes, I know, black has preference, but
gentlemen should be able to settle this among themselves)
Rob, I have known more than a few players who were adamant about their “rights” concerning which pieces and boards to use. One character used to come in 50+ minutes late and still demanded to use his board, pieces, and clock because he had Black. When I played him, I let him have his way, and beat him. I knew that he wanted to cause a scene just to get himself fired up to play. When I was the TD and he came in late, I ruled that because he was late, he forfeited his “right” and that it would disturb other games to change the board and pieces. It was funny that he cited the precedent of our games for being allowed to have his way. I told him then I was being a gentleman, but when I am a TD I follow the rules.
Personally, I do not like boards that are black, red, or blue. For some reason, the staring at the blue squares gives me a headache. The red squares seem to shimmer; there is an odd afterimage when I close my eyes. The black squares do not provide enough contrast, especially in fast time controls. Green squares seem to be a cooler color and easier on the eyes. I also do not mind playing on boards with cream color and brown squares, especially with a fine wooden set. As a TD, if one player has a board with green squares and the other blue, I am inclined to allow the board with green and white squares regardless of who has the “right.” Of course, that is all obviated as our club provides all sets and boards, which have green and white squares.
@mlanger
You had to be there. The man was a character. He would normally start loud arguments with players and other TDs over his “rights” and how the rulebook should be interpreted. This would lead other players, especially his master peers, to get involved. However, he would be quiet and careful when he got the chance to set out his own pieces. When I was the TD I was proactive; I would catch him before he entered the playing area and tell him he had to use the standard set that was already set up. If he was going to argue, I felt it better to be outside the presence of the players. In fact, I always take disputes outside of the playing room.
As a player, I received a psychological advantage by allowing him to place his nice set on the board. No argument, no extra energy I even let him use his clock, which had a sturdy, large clock face (we were in the era of analog clocks). He was always a clock banger in his inevitable time pressure. I would rather he beat up his own clock than mine. He told me once that because I let him use his pieces and clock, he could not generate the animus necessary to win. By being agreeable, I sapped his will.
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